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?ASTORAL IMAGES IN THE BIBLE
An Honors TheSIS (ID 499)
by
Colleen Malone
THESIS DIRECTOR
SaIl State UniversIty
MuncIe,
May,
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IndIana
1986
(
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Preface
have found that one of the most InterestIng thIngs
about the use of language IS that the sImplest,
least com-
plIcated subJect can be transformed Into a complex,
Indepth,
and thoroughly captivating tOPIC of literature. Never would
I
have imagtned that I would read book after book and spend
hours on end studYIng the tOPIC of sheep, but In the process
of finding information for
this thesIs,
have come to
I
realize that concept of sheep and shepherds In the Bible IS
a deep and tImeless literary text. For thIS reason,
It
IS
with not a little surprIse, and quite a bIt of pleasure that
I
undertake to make you, my reader, as interested in pastoral
literature as I have become.
tOPIC, anImal,
study.
I
hope that
I
never consider any
or person as too simple or too dull for my
Xalone
It is not uncommon these days to hear of a book beIng
wrItten,
or a class being taught, WhICh uses as its theme the
The Bibie,
topic of the literary qualIty of the Bible.
In
its varIed literary genres such as the ProphetIc Literature
found in IsaIah and JeremIah,
the Wisdom Literature depicted
In Eccleslastes, and the EpIstolary Literature of the New
Testament books,
employs many elements of Interest to the
modern student of EnglIsh lIterature.
Other lIterary forms
and techniques found In the Bible Include:
parable, proverb,
the epic, parody,
satire, allegory, and the pastoral.
Leland Ryken in his book,
Ib~
~~l~L~lYL~
Qf
lb~
~~~l~~
provIdes a starting point from which to VIew the BIble as
literature.
He states:
literature IS experIentIal.
This means that the subJect matter of literature is human experience.
The approach to human experience, moreover,
concrete rather than abstract." 1
In this light,
IS
then,
literature IS merely a product of actual human experIence.
The Bible presents this human experIence In a concrete
manner; rather than give a definItIon of a virtuous man,
the
Bible shows a vIrtuous man acting. Ryken goes on to say that,
"We might say that literature does not tell
and actions and concepts but
QL~§~~l§
~!2.Q!:!1.
characters
characters In
action." 2
If one views the Bible from the standpoint of Ryken's
guidelInes,
it is certainly pOSSIble to claIm that the Bible
contains many segments that are lIterary.
These literary
portIons of the Bible leave no aspect of human nature
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undiscussed.
In the pages of BiblIcal lIterature, one can
read about God, nature,
evil, guilt,
forgiveness.
love, social relatIonships, death,
salvation, famIly,
life,
judgment, and
The literature of the Bible, beIng so compre-
henslve and having so many different authors, has been able
to capture beautIfully the complexltles and polarities of
of human lIfe and experIence.
The Bible IS a collectIon of diverse works,
has much unity of subject matter.
but it also
This is seen most
universally in the BIble's depictIon of God's InteractIon
with humans, and humans lnteraction with God and with other
ThEHe IS also a unity of purpose which undergIrds
humans.
all of Bible lIterature -- the purpose of revealing God to
people so that they might know better how to arrange their
lives.
3
According to Ryken,
there IS one fInal
type of
unity to be found In the Bible: a unity based on allusion.
4
Many allusions can be referred to which reinforce Ryken's
assertion.
One allusion WhICh runs throughout the entire
Bible is the allusion of sheep and shepherds.
The concept of
sheep and shepherds had much SIgnifIcance to the common
people of BIblical tImes and stIll hold up today as SImple,
down-to-earth vehicles for BiblIcal Imagery.
As has been mentIoned,
the Bible uses many different
literary forms and technIques for conveYIng its unified
messages.
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The remaInder of this theSIS will be divided Into
four broad categories:
1.
the types of lIterary technIques
and forms found in the Bible, 2. a description of the
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characteristlcs of sheep and shepherds,
3. how references to
sheep and shepherds are used metaphorically in the Bible, and
4.
a dlSCUSSlon of the appllcabillty of these allusions,
both
ln Biblical times and at the present·.
Many dIfferent literary devlces
discovered as one studies the Bible.
previously, different
~ypes
~nd
forms may be
As has been mentloned
of literary forms and devices are
to be found ln the Blble. The epic, Wisdom Literature, and
pastoral lit.erature are three which lend themselves to even
deeper study than most.
Epic, for example,
can be found in the story of the
Exodus from Egypt to Canaan.
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expansive,
EP1C is sald to be an
long narratlve whlch encompasses many lmportant
themes and values.
a whole age. 5
It lS possible for an epic work to sum up
This hist.orical saga lS recorded ln the books
of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
It records Israel's
formatlon as a nation, descrlbes the values and doctrlnes
adhered to by the young Hebrew natlon, and explalns the
history of the earliest events and bellefs of the Children of
Israel.
One aspect that sets thlS eplc apart from the other
eplcs of its tlme (such as those of Homer and Virgil)
is that
the Bible uses none of the flowery language and poetry so
well-loved by Homer and hIS secular counterpart.s.
The
Biblical eplc does, however, bear some resemblance t.o
Virgil's
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Ih~
6~Q~~~,
but unlike Virgil,
the Biblical author
does not ext.ol the pralses of a human hero,
3
but rather gives
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the praise to an everpresent, ever-watchful, and always
powerful God.
Wisdom Literature IS also present in the pages of the
Bible. There are two maIn criterIa a work must possess to
have it be considered to be Wisdom LIterature. The first
characterIstic is the presence of a WIse man who IS
commentIng on his observations about human life.
The second
element of Wisdom Literature Includes the work's utillzatlon
of proverbs and other related llterary devIces.
Two Biblical
books that :ncorporate these two criteria are Proverbs and
Ecclesia.stes.
In both books,
young men and hIS followers.
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the narrator gIves advice to
In Ecclesiastes,
the theme IS
the utter foolIshness of all worldly things -- wisdom,
wealth, etc .
The narrator,
to say to the young,
through hIS experIence,
is able
"Remember your Creator in the days of
your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years
approach
wh€~n
you will say,
(Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV).
manner,
'I find no pleasure In t.hem
Proverbs,
in much the same
is a collection of t.hought.s on many subject.s which is
meant t.o teach and to rebuke the young and the foolISh.
Although much more could be saId about lIterary forms and
technIques of the Bible, from this point,
the main
consideration WIll be the use of the past.oral literature.
Many of the allUSIons used in the BIble are pastoral In
nature. Ryken defines the pastoral as
literatul"e In
which characters are shepherds or rusticsj sett.Ing is rural,
and the acti.ons are those customarily done by shepherds." 6
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Pastoral works are usually concerned with reality. The
shepherds in Biblical literature are idealized, humble, and
usually exempt from the Vlces of civilized life. 7
often referred to as the first shepherd,
Abe!,
is described as a
man of spiritual integrity -- a man approved by God (Genesis
Davu:i, also a shepherd,
4: 2) .
after God's own heart"
To
con~inue
up by God,
(
lS said to have been "a man
I Samuel 13:14).
the idea of shepherds as humble, yet llfted
the book of Luke describes the the birth of Jesus
Christ and states that the shepherds, fearful,
but Joyful,
are the first people to hear of the news of thls wonderful
Christ-child.
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These poor,
think of shepherds today)
lowly shepherds (as we tend to
seem always to be among the first
humans to be blessed by God.
(Note God's acceptance of
Abel's offering of sheep as a sacrifice to God, and God's
rejectlon of the sacriflce offered by Caln in Genesis 4).
The Bible carries on the pastoral imagery in its figurative use of the word "shepherd" to refer to priests,
kings, God Himself,
78:52 reads::
or Chrlst as the Good Shepherd.
Psalm
"Then He led forth his people like sheep, and
guided them in the wilderness like a flock."
Jeremiah
continues the use of the comparison between politlcal and
spiritual leaders when he rebukes the Israelite leaders who,
apparently, were allowlng the children of Israel to stray
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from the true path of righteousness.
Jeremiah asserts:
"Woe
to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture
I'
sa.ys the Lord ....
"I wi 11 set shepherds over them
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who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be
dismayed'
(Jeremiah 23:1,4).
Jesus,
too,
in referring to
himself as the good shepherd claIms that he came to seek and
to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew
15:24).
Peter,
Later In the gospels, Jesus urges his discIple,
to act as a shepherd.
In John 21:15-17 He pleads:
"Feed my lambs ... Tend my sheep ... Feed my sheep."
Ryken ldentifies three categories of pastoral literature
which can bE? dIscovered in the Bible. One category found
IS
the pastoral used as a vehicle for writing about the
experience of love.
The Song of Solomon employs this type of
pastoral literature when the narrator praIses the beauty and
virtue of h:s beloved using images that are rural and rustlc.
(Song of Solomon 2:1-3; 4:1-5,
12-15; 5:12-13; 7:1-9).
Another aspect of this type of pastoral deals simply
with a descrlption of the del1ghts of love.
This can be seen
in Song of Solomon 1:14,16-17; 2:3,16; 4:16; as well as other
places throughout the book.
One flnal type of vehicle for
through a complaint or lament.
love's experlence is shown
In the Song of Solomon,
the
lady's "complaint over the slowness of her love to culminate
in marriage ..... displays pastoral characteristics.
The second category of pastoral literature employs the
pastoral as a vehicle to pra1se the "good life."
The rural
1mages lend themselves to a V1ew of life as peaceful and
content, or as closer to perfection than any other type of
life.
Psalm 23 15 a prime example because it employs the
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image of a shepherd to characterize the care and love of God
This partIcular Psalm exalts
toward His creation, His sheep.
rural life with its green pastures and still waters and also
touches an instinct in Its readers that longs for the simple,
umcomplicated life portrayed in Its verses.
Unl ike the
idealized, romantic scene depIcted in the Song of Solomon,
Psalm 23 deals with rural life realistically.
The final category of pastoral literature utilizes the
allegorIcal tradition.
The allegorical tradition applies
pastoral images to discuss problems and concerns found
real life.
It takes complex 1deas and problems and puts them
into simple terms.
The parable of the lost sheep IS based on
the allegorical tradition.
his
audiencE~
In
ChrIst 1S trying to explaIn to
some tough concepts of the savIng grace of God,
and Christ wants to use a topic or example that most of the
people in the crowd wIll understand.
Therefore, Jesus
compares the faithfulness of God to the faIthfulness of any
caring shepherd.
It is a rare shepherd who will not go to
find one of his valuable sheep. This parable is intended to
pOInt out that God, as the Good Shepherd, will not desert any
of His lost sheep that are wandering helplessly outsIde the
fold.
Jesus presents this parable to the crowd and receives a
response first on the literal level since the crowd can
understand the shepherd's deS1re to retrieve a sheep that has
been lost.
Once the crowd has made this connection, Jesus
can take the parable to a new, deeper sp1ritual level when He
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a I one
st.ates:
"Even so,
I tell you,
t.here wII': be more
JOY
1n
heaven over one SInner who repents than over n1nety-n1ne
r1ght.eous persons who need no repentance"
Jesus,
(Luke 15:7).
the Good Shepherd, uses t.h1S parable to dr1ve home HIS
p01nt that. He has been sent to seek and t.o save the "lost
sheep" a.nd ::hen to br1ng these sheep safely int.o the fold,
Heaven.
Chr1st has not. been sent t.o earth merely to slt and
to watch th!? "sheep"
that are already 1n the fold.
Perhaps the greatest example of an allegorIcal pastoral
1mage 15 found
in John 10:1-8.
Tn th1S passage, Jesus calls
H1mself the Good Shepherd. He details a shepherd's care for
h1S sheep, and thls account serves as an allegory for God's
protect1on of HIS creat1on, HIS people.
These verses
dist1ngulsh between true and false shepherds and stresses the
1nt1macy
wh~ch
shepherd.
should be fell between the sheep and
theIr
By contrast1ng the good with the bad, Chrlst
presents HIBseif as the one,
true,
and trustworthy leader for
H1S people.
The Bibllcal authors make w1de use of pastoral
allus1ons. Ryken's statement that lIterature 15 exper1entla!
IS certainly true of the Bible.
testament
8
The lIterature of the Old
_. a reflectlon of the hebrew SOc1ety whIch it
1 c·
chron1cles. The New Testament,
In the same way, prOVIdes
examples from the daily lives of the f1rst Christians,
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Romans, Greeks, and other ne1ghbor1ng cultures.
The use of
pastoral comparIsons arise from the earliest records of the
Israel1tes because the early Hebrews seem to have been a
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nomad1C people who raised flocks and herds of cattle.
Many
of the heroes of Hebraic history are known to have been
Jacob, Joseph and h1S eleven patr1archal
shepherds.
brothers, Saul (who would become Israel's first king), David
(the poet-klng), Abraham and his nephew Lot, Samson, and even
Moses are recognized as having been shepherds at one point in
their lives.
The Scriptures' earliest audiences will have readIly
comprehended the natures and actions of sheep and shepherds.
To modern readers, however,
1t is necessary to study the
characteristics of both sheep and shepherds to be able to
grasp the full mean1ng of the pastoral allusions 1n the
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Bible.
Most people 1n Biblical times, for
Instance,
could
describe sheep as clean, dOCIle, affect1onate, and harmless
animals which are easily domesticated.
know,
too,
These people would
that sheep suffer from a lack of 1nitiative that
causes the creatures to be easily lost or led astray.
The
Bible regards sheep as greatly inferior In status and value
to a human being.
This sense of the sheep's inferIority
stems partly from the fact that sheep are so dependent on
their shepherd that a whole flock will be helpless without
the human leader.
PhIll1P Keller states that "Sheep ...
requIre, more than any other class of 11vestock, endless
attention and meticulous care." 9
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Keller uses the Twenty-
third Psalm as a point of departure for an indepth look at
sheep.
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--
David,
down In
In Psalm 2:3:2,
grel~n
pastures."
comments,
"He maketh me to lle
Keller explaIns the process of
makIng sheep lIe down by presenllng four condItIons that must
be met before sheep wIll
1.
lie down to rest.
10
Sheep wIll not lIe down untIl all fear IS gone.
In
other words, all strange or unknown anImals must be
chased away from the flock, no storms present, or any
other hInt of physical danger present to worry them.
2. They wIll not lIe down If there IS another sheep with
whom they have a conflict.
This IS to say that two
rams who feel a need to fIght wIth one anolher wIl!
not lie down next to each other; an old ewe will
ensure that a young ewe does not try to encroach upon
her space; there can be absolutely no frictIon In the
flock.
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3. Sheep cannot lie down to rest if they are being tormented by any type of fly, parasIte, Or other Insect.
4. Sheep cannot rest well
Apparently,
for a
if they are hungry.
flock to be able to rest,
must be absolutely free from fear,
tensIon,
the sheep
aggravatIon,
and
hunger.
Keller follows these four conditIons wIth the
comment:
"[Sheep] have lIttle or no means of self-defense.
They are helpless,
timid,
feeble creatures whose only
recourse IS to run" from any danger or irrItatIon.
contInues,
"In the course of time,
11
He
came to realIze that
nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me In
the field.
The presence of thelr master.
put them at theIr
ease as nothlng else could do ... " 12
Psalm ;::3:2b asserts
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"He leadeth me beside the still
waters." Since sheep's bodies are composed of nearly seventy
percent water,
the water they drInk becomes necessary In
maintalning normal body metabolism,
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strengthenIng cells, and
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,.determlning the strength, vltality, and general well-being of
the sheep. Thlrsty sheep become restless to the pOlnt of
becomlng ill and WIll drlnk anythlng, even dIrty, parasiterldden wate.: to quench theIr thlrst.
13
An interestlng thlng can happen to some sheep.
Keller
devotes a pOlgnant passage of hlS book to describlng a
sheep;
feet
thlS IS a sheep which
in the air,
top-heavy;
15
IYlng on Its back with the
therefore, a sheep lYIng on Its back will not have
thrashlng and klcklng
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Sheep are
unable to turn himself back over.
the balance to get back onto hlS feet.
quickly.
"cast"
until
The sheep will
lle
It dles, unless help arrIves
Sheep can die in the short space of a few hours
If the temperatures are extremely hlgh. On the other hand,
sheep can surVlve for several days In thlS helpless conditlon
if the temperatures are cooler.
to this dlstresslng problem.
A shepherd must be alert
He continually finds and must
constantly be searchlng for cast sheep.
14
One slmple way
to find a cast sheep IS to look up Into the sky for any signs
of circlIng buzzards who are waiting for the death of theIr
prey. The only hope for thIS helpless sheep IS that
shepherd can flnd It,
set it back on its feet,
the
and hold the
sheep uprIght untIl balance and blood flow are restored.
Another Interestlng characterlstlc of sheep
are creatures of habit.
-,
IS
that they
They wlil follow the same paths
until these paths turn Into guilles; sheep WIll eat the
grass In certain places untll the ground starts to erode;
they will pollute their pastures untIl the fIelds are
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absolutely covered wIth parasItes and disease.
The only way
to keep the sheep from causIng this type of destruction IS
for the flock to have a shepherd who constantly keeps hIs
animals on the move.
The Bible IS written with the idea that its audience has
some knowledge of these characterIstics of sheep.
Sheep in
Biblical times represented the maIn livelIhood of pastoral
peoples and provIded their owners with food to eat (I Samuel
14:32), milk to drink (Isaiah 7:21-22), wool for
the weaving
of cloth (LevitIcus 13:47-48),
rough clothing (Hebrews
11:37), and even coverings for
tents (Exodus 26:14).
Sheep
were used as a means of exchange (II KIngs 3:4) and were
central to the Hebraic system of sacrifices.
Sheep were used
for dIfferent types of sacrIfIces: burnt offerIngs (LevitIcuS
1:10),
sIn offerings (LevitIcuS 4:32),
gUIlt offerings
(Leviticus 5:15), and peace offerIngs (Levit1cuS 22:21).
is lIttle wonder,
then,
It
that allusions to sheep are so common
in the BiblE?
Knowing the nature of sheep and realIzIng what a
challenge It 1S to keep sheep healthy and comfortable,
Job of a shepherd becomes one of complex dutIes,
the
total
commItment, and often personal sacrIfIce on the parlof the
shepherd.
Shepherding is a widespread occupatIon in BIblIcal
accounts and some of the Bible's greatest men are shepherds.
A shepherd has many cares and duties,
some of WhICh include:
a. protectIng the sheep from robbers and wild beasts
(GenesIs 31:39; Exodus 22:13; Isaiah 31:40),
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b.
constantly finding good places to pasture and water the
flock (Psalm 23:2),
c.
contending wIth other shepherds for these pasturelands
and waterIng places (Genesis 26:17-22; Exodus 2:17),
d.
caring for sIck sheep -- sparing mother ewes from excessive walkIng and carrying baby lambs too young to
walk (GenesIs 33:13; IsaIah 40:11; Luke 15:4-7), and
e.
knOWIng each sheep by name (John 10:3).
:5
The shepherd is also responsIble to the sheep owner to
make restitutIon for any lost or dead sheep, unless the
shepherd can plead CIrcumstances beyond hIS control.
The
Bible stresses that a shepherd must be a man of much
Integrity and character SInce the welfare of the sheep should
always be uppermost in hIS mind.
The shepherd should derive
JOY from seeIng his charges contented, well-fed, and
flourishIng under hIS care.
SInce shepherding IS hIS life,
he must apply all of hIS strength and intelligence to gIving
the sheep shelter from storms, protectIon from outSIde
dangers -- such as thIeves and WIld animals, and access to
ample food and water.
The shepherd IS also responslble to
make and apply salves,
ointments, or other remedies on the
sheep to aid in ridding them of parasites or dIsease.
Due
to the fact that that darkness does not always bring safety
and rest to the animals,
and night,
a shepherd must be alert both day
ready to run to the aId of his sheep.
Although there are many trIals and concerns for
Biblical shepherd,
for theIr efforts.
the
there are also times of great joy lnvolved
The shepherd Who provides well for his
flock has the satisfaction of beIng able to VIew hIS sheep a
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well-fed, healthy, and valuable creatures.
In addItIon to
the pride of knowIng that they have done a commendable Job,
BIblIcal shepherds are also entItled to great periods of
feasting and merrIment durIng shearIng time <GenesIs 38:12;
I Samuel 25:2,36).
Due to the fact that shepherding requIres
many lonely days and months when the shepherd IS alone with
hls sheep,
these feastlng days were tlmes of sharlng and
conversatlon wlth other shepherds.
I Samuel 17:40 pOlnts out
that much delight was found In these conversatIons and
musings.
Despite the lonelIness that he must have felt,
one
can picture David sittIng in the quiet pastures conJurlng up
some of hIS most long-Iastlng and vlvid lmpresslons as he
lovIngly guarded his flocks.
DaVId later transforms these
thoughts into psalms such as the beautIful Twenty-third
Psalm.
Knowlng that most people during ancIent times had such
an IntImate knowledge of sheep and shepherds,
it is little
wonder that the writers of the Bible fell confident to make
so many alluslons to the pastoral lmages described here.
This knowledge of the pastora: carries through untIl the time
of Chrlst and the New Testament writers.
simple rustIc
Even the most
could make the comparison of a good shepherd
to a protective and lovIng God.
Lockyer,
in a book explalnlng the nature of some of the
Bible's most common occupatlons, gIves examp:es of four ways
In which the Biblical writers compared God to a shepherd:
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a.
to describe God's care for His people (Psalms 23:1;
77:20; 78:52-53; 80:1; JeremIah 33:3; Ezekiel 34:14-29;
and M i c ah 7: 1 4) ,
b.
to show God liftIng up His staff against the foes of
Israel (Isaiah 10:1,24),
c.
to depIct God gathering His sheep, no matter where they
are (John 4:29; 10:16; Luke 23:42), and
d.
to allude to the practIce of counting sheep one-by-one
as they entered Into the fold (Jeremiah 33::3; John
10:2-5).
As time progresses,
the leaders of countrIes, as well as
the spIritual leaders of the people,
come to be assocIated
with the occupation of shepherdlng.
According to Lockyer,
"ScrIpture earnestly stresses the serIOUS responsibility of
human leadej-s to those who follow them."
Jeremiah 23:1-4, and JeremIah 25:32-38,
16
In EzekIel 34,
some serIOUS
denuncla.tlons are found of those "shepherds" who,
being selfless, devoted,
their flocks,
lnstead of
and concerned for the welfare of
are leading the "sheep",
the people, astray.
These shepherds feed themselves WIthout worrylng about
feeding the:r sheep.
They wlli kill or scattered their
charges If It will increase theIr own rIches.
These
shepherds have completely dlsregarded theIr duty to provlde
for the physIcal and spiritual welfare of the publIC;
therefore,
EzeJ<~iel
warns that God wi 11 regather Hi s sheep,
Judge the shepherds, and appoint one,
reference to a
true shepherd.
ThiS
lone shepherd refers not only to the eventual
reunificatlon of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, but also
looks forward to the comIng of Christ,
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the Good Shepherd.
Malone
In the New Testament,
of sheep.
the Church is compared to a flock
The Church has a head, a shepherd, who is Christ.
There are also appointed leaders, or under-shepherds, who are
expected to exh1bit some common characterIstIcs:
Samuel 17:34;
courage (1
Isaiah 31:4; Amos 3:12), a sense of
responsIbility (Matthew 18:12; Luke 15:6),
(Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:4),
(Proverbs 27:23),
love and patIence
competence In the calling
JOY 1n the work and self-den1al
(I Peter 5:
2-3), order (JeremIah 33:13; John 10:3), humilIty (Ezekiel
34:4;
I Peter 5:3), and Judgment (Ezekiel 34:17; Matthew
25:32).
17
Shepherding of this type is necessary to the
maintenance of the Church.
Jesus alludes to Himself as a shepherd In John 10:2-5,
7-16. He also staLes that He is the gate,
through which the sheep will enter.
or the door,
In addition, Jesus
promIses thaL He has enough loyalty and commitment to the
flock to lay down his very life for hIS sheep.
Jesus
contrasts HImself to the leaders who have come before Him
who would f:ee when they spotted trouble and would scatter
the sheep rather than gather them.
In verse seven, Jesus makes reference to an old
shepherdIng custom.
It seems that shepherds would llterally
serve as the door to the sheepfold.
At nIght,
the shepherd
would gather His sheep into a half-CIrcle around hIm,
gel
them all settled down to rest, and then would lle across the
the threshhold of the fold.
The shepherd's presence at the
door served both to keep the sheep in and to keep any
16
Malone
-
int.ruders out.
verily,
I
Therefore, when Jesus st.at.es,
say unto you,
I
"Verily,
am the door of t.he sheep.", He is
saying that He will protect any sheep t.hat. remain In HIS
fold,
and he will prevent any danger from coming to the
Thus, Jesus literally "lays down His life" for his
flock.
sheep.
The utllization of sheep and shepherds In the Bible is
broad and complex.
t.imes is
urban,
fa~rly
The valIdIty of t.his Imagery in BIblical
easy to discern,
industrialIzed society,
but. In our fast-paced,
it may be somewhat. more
difficult. to understand the symbolIsm without some st.udy of
the characterIstics of sheep and shepherding.
-
From the time of the banIshment of Adam and Eve from the
garden, people allover the world have been engaged In the
occupation of raising cattle.
suffiCIent;
therefore,
Men have needed to be self-
they have had to raise their own food,
make their own clothes, and find something of materIal value
WIth which lo trade for the thIngs they could not raIse or
make.
Knowlng that nearly every family in the Biblical days
would come Into some contact with sheep or other cattle,
the
Biblical aulhors seem to have been on famIliar ground wlth
pastoral imagery.
The tImeless quality of the BIble's
literature stems from the fact that the Biblical authors were
able to fInd such well-known objects as sheep to illust.rate
the nature of God's relat.ionship to man. Sheep continue to be
a major source of food and income In Chrlst.'s time,
so He
able to continue the metaphor of God as shepherd, men as
17
IS
Malone
sheep.
Laodicea, a
large, wealthy, and promInent CIty in the
early years after the bIrth of Christ,
IS recorded to have
raised and profitted handsomely from the sale of the wool of
The CIty is said to have become
a rare type of black sheep.
so proud of Its dIstIngulshed wool that ChrIst rebukes her
for her lack of commitment to the spirItual shepherd, God.
An author can paInt a beautiful picture by drawing a
comparIson between sheep and humans.
Like sheep, humans can
be docile and affectionate, or restless and prone lo dIsrupt
the flock.
In lhe same way that sheep cannot allow
themselves to rest until they are completely free from fear,
IrritatIon, friction wlth other sheep, and hunger,
-
humans
tend to find themselves unable to rest eIther spiritual!y or
pyschologlcally when they are plagued by: a) fears about
their Jobs, hobbies, eVIl from without -- such as the
physIcal or mental abuse of another person,
the fear of
death, or even the fear of Satan and his evil forces;
b) frIction or minor Irritations such as naggIng illnesses,
car problems,
luxuries,
traffic Jams,
in other words,
bad weather,
lIke sheep,
lack of deSIred
the little "flIes" that
get inSIde their heads and drive them to distraction;
c) friclion with other human beIngs, whether the friction be
a conflict of Interests with a co-worker or arguments with a
spouse, annoyances caused by parents,
in-laws,
children
neIghbors or bosses; and d) phYSIcal needs which may range
.-
from constant hunger to complete over-indulgence, drug
addictIons to unceaSIng pain caused by an inJury
18
OJ-
illness,
Malone
or having the feeling of being "cast" on one's back wIthout
any hope of having the capability of beIng rIghted wIthout
help.
Human beings,
in the same way as sheep,
can respond to
the comfort of knowing that there is a shepherd, or a God,
who can set them on theIr feet agaIn.
David records hIS
relief at beIng able to think of a God who would not allow
His flock to be in want.
This true shepherd will be able Lo
lead His sheep beside stIll, clean waters; He WIll be able
to find fertile,
green pastures that WIll provide the needed
food for His sheep.
God,
as shepherd,
is able to lead men 1n
paths of righteousness and to keep His flock from caUSIng the
-
paths to become deeply-rutted, eroded, and parasite-ridden.
He provides a smoother, healthier path for any sheep that is
willing to follow Him, and He WIll even be gracious In
restoring a wandering sheep and retrieving that sheep from
his poor Judgment.
Just as a shepherd sometImes has to lead
his sheep through dark valleys to be able to reach the
tablelands at the top of the mountain, God,
sometimes take these dark passages.
too,
will
The sheep simply have to
remember their Shepherd's ability to lead them to the
tablelands that are prepared for them.
In the same way that
sheep count on their shepherd to be a true gUIde,
the person
who trusts In God can expect the love and devotion of a
worthy
leadE~r.
19
Malone
Human beings have other quallties which are similar to
those of shEep.
Most people,
llke most sheep, are follow-
ers. They will plod along wlth the crowd so long as the rest
seem to know where they are gOlng.
If a person sees a whole
crowd of terrified people runnlng away from unseen danger,
that person will more-than-likely run,too.
People can also
become creatures of habit who wlll continue to use the same
old paths sImply because they know where the paths lead.
People will stop to drlnk out of muddy,
fearing that there
1S
no clean,
polluted waterholes
runnlng water up ahead.
It
is human nature to stand at the fence of the pasture, with
chin restlng on the rails of the fence,
looklng over at the
neighboring land knowing that the grass
15
greener there.
Like sheep. people seem to long for someone who wlil
take care of them,
love them, and protect them.
Even the
most independent and stubborn person has moments when he or
she needs some "shepherding."
The Bible does a beautlful
Job
of taking a simple pastoral image and continulng It
throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
The pastoral
literature of the BIble culmlnates in the picture of Christ.
the Good ShE!pherd, who stand s a t the door of the fo Id
counting each sheep as It passes by Him maklng sure that no
sheep
,-
1S
mlsslng.
He settles them down for the night, maklng
sure that each sheep is free from irrltation, fear,
hunge r.
and
He comforts the sheep by callIng each one by name,
and every sheep recognIzes h15 VOlce.
lost, Jesus dlligently
searc~\Js
Should one sheep be
for His "cast" treasure,
Malone
.-
sets it on lts feet again, and balances it until it can stand
on
1
Ls own.
Then, as nIght closes in, Jesus lIes down on the
threshhold to literally serve as the gate which will keep the
sheep in,
the enemles out.
ThIS image has been comfortIng
people for countless centuries.
Each man, woman, or child
who belleves in Christ as the true Shepherd has David's
assurance which is stated boldly at the conclusion of the
Twenty-third Psalm:
Lord forever."
-
"And I
shall dwell
in the house of the
FOOTNOTES
~.
Ih~
Leland Ryken,
1~1~£~lY£~
Rapids, Michigan:
Qf
lh~
~i~l~~
Grand
Zondervan PublishIng House,
1974) .
2. Rykem, p.
13.
Rykem, p.
15.
3.
4. Rykem,
-
p.
16.
5. RykEm, p.
81
6. Rykem, p.
233.
, p.
233.
7.
RykE~n
8.
RykEm, p.
13.
9. PhI :.1 ip Keller, A §b.~Qb.~r:.~ ~22l:!.2. ~t. E.§.~l@
RapIds MIchIgan:
?l.. <Grand
Zondervan Publishing House,
1970) .
p.
35.
, p.
36.
10.
Ke~.ler,
11.
Ke:~ler
12. Keller,
p.
37.
13. Ke:.ler. p. 50.
14. Keller, pp. 60-61.
15. Herbert Lockyer,
t.h~ ~~~l~·
~ll Ih~
,-
pp.
pp.
t.h~
§i~l~·
315 - 316.
Q££Y~~l~QD~
gf
Zondervan
1969).
201-202.
17. George A. Buttrick,
Q(
~D~
<Grand RapIds, MichIgan:
Publishing House,
16. Lockyer,
I£~~~2.
Ih~
ID1~£~£~1~r:..~2. Q~£liQD~£Y
(AbIngdon Press, Vol.
4,
1981),
-
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bu t t rick, Gporge A.
Q[
~h~
~i~!~·
DOUl;Jlas, J.D.
Abingdon Press, Vol.
"Shepherd."
Rapids, MichIgan:
1970,
in ':'he
ti~~
MichIgan:
~.±.~l~
1981,
314-315.
Q'±'£~'±'QQ~£.Y.
Zondervan PublishIng House,
§h~2h~£.~ ~QQ~§
~~ e~~!m ~l~
Zondervan PublIshing House,
Lockyer, Herbert.
~ll
Ib!2
I£~g!22
§.!}Q
~!~!~~
Grand Raplds, Michigan:
House,
1969,
Ryken,
4,
Grand
1962,
1174-1176.
Keller, Phi:lip. 6
-
Q.!~l.lg!}~£y
"Sheep." In Ib!2 1!:!1!2£2£!2.!:.!2.L':'2
Leland.
MichIgan:
Ih~
Grand Rapids,
1970.
Q.f~Y12§.l.lg!}2
gf
lb~
Zondervan Publishing
201-202.
b!~~L~~YL~
Q[
lh~
~!~!~~
Zondervan PublIshIng House,
Grand Rapids.
1974.